The Problem of the Day

Volume X - Sufi Mysticism

Sufi Poetry

The Persian Poets

At all times Persia has had great poets and it has been
called 'The Land of Poetry.' This is because the Persian
language is so well adapted to poetry and also because all
Persian poetry contains a mystical touch. The literary value
of the poetry only makes it poetry; but when a mystical
value is added, then this makes the poetry prophecy.

The climate and atmosphere of Persia have also been most
helpful to poetry, and the very imaginative nature of the
people has made their poetry rich. At all times and in all
countries, when the imagination has no scope for expansion,
then poetry dies and materialism increases.

There is no poet in the world who is not a mystic. A
poet is a mystic, whether consciously or unconsciously,
for no one can write poetry without inspiration. When a
poet touches the profound depths of the spirit, struck by
some aspect of life, then he brings forth a poem, as a diver
brings forth a pearl.

In this age of materialism and ever-growing commercialism,
man seems to have lost the way of inspiration. During my
travels I was asked by a well-known writer whether it is
really true that there is such a thing as inspiration. This
gave me an idea of how far nowadays some writers and poets
are removed from inspiration. It is the materialism of the
age that is responsible for this. If a person has a tendency
towards poetry or music, then as soon as he begins writing
something his first thought is, 'Will it catch on, or not?
What will be its practical value?' Generally, what catches
on is that which appeals to the average man. In this way,
culture is going downward instead of upward.

When the soul of the poet is intoxicated by the beauty
of nature and the harmony of life it is moved to dance,
and the expression of the dance is poetry. The difference
between inspired poetry and mechanical writing is as great
as the difference between true and false. For many ages,
the poets of Persia have left a wonderful treasure of thought
for humanity. Jalaluddin Rumi has revealed in
his Masnavi the mystery of profound revelation. In
the East, his works are considered as sacred as holy scriptures.
They have illuminated countless souls, and the study of
his work can be considered to belong to the highest standard
of culture.

The poet is a creator, and he creates in spite of all
that confronts him. He creates a world of his own. By so
doing, he rises naturally above that plane where only what
is visible and touchable is regarded as real. When he sings
to the sun, when he smiles to the moon, when he prays to
the sea and when he looks at the plants, the forests and
at life in the desert, he communicates with nature. In the
eyes of the ordinary person he is imaginative, dreamy and
visionary, and his thoughts seem to be in the air. But if
one asks the poet what he thinks of these others, he will
say that it is those who cannot fly who remain on the ground.
It is natural that creatures who walk on the earth are not
always able to fly. Those who fly in the air must have wings.
Among human beings one will find that same difference, for
in human beings, there are all things. There are souls like
germs and worms, there are souls like animals and birds,
and there are souls like jinns and angels. Among
human beings, all can be found – those who belong to the
earth, those who dwell in heaven, and those who dwell in
the very depths.

Those who were able to soar upward by the power of their
imagination have been living poets. What they said was not
only a statement, it was music itself. It not only had rhythm,
but it also had tone. It made their souls dance, and it
would make anyone dance who heard it. Thus Hafiz of Shiraz
gives a challenge to the dignified, pious men of his country
when he says, 'Pious friends, you would forget your dignity
if you would hear the song which came from my glowing heart.'
It is such souls who have touched the highest summits of
life so that they have been able to contribute some truth,
giving an interpretation of human nature and the inner law
of life.

It is another thing with poets who have made poetry for
the sake of fame, name or popularity, or so that it might
be appreciated by others – for that is business, not poetry.
Poetry is an art, an art of the highest degree. The poet's
communication with nature brings him, in the end, to communicate
with himself. By that communication he delves deeper and
deeper within and without, communicating with life everywhere.
This communication brings him into a state of ecstasy, and
in his ecstasy, his whole being is filled with joy. He forgets
the worries and anxieties of life, he rises above the praise
and blame of this earth, and the things of this world become
of less importance to him. He stands on the earth, but gazes
into the heavens. His outlook on life becomes broadened
and his sight keen. He sees things that no one else is interested
in, that no one else sees.

This teaches us that what may be called heaven or paradise
is not very far from man. It is always near him, if only
he will look at it. Our life is what we look at. If we look
at the right thing, then it is right. If we look at the
wrong thing, then it is wrong. Our life is made according
to our own attitude, and that is why the poet proves to
be self-sufficient, and also indifferent and independent.
These qualities become as wings for him to fly upward. The
poet is in the same position as anyone else in regard to
the fears and worries that life brings, the troubles and
difficulties that everyone feels in the midst of the world.
Yet, he rises above these things so that they do not touch
him.

No doubt the poet is much more sensitive to the troubles
and difficulties of life than an ordinary person. If he
took to heart everything that came to him, all the jarring
influences that disturbed his peace of mind, all the rough
edges of life that everyone has to rub against, then he
would not be able to go on. On the other hand, if he hardened
his heart and made it less sensitive, then he would also
close his heart to the inspiration which comes as poetry.
Therefore, in order to open the doors of his heart, to keep
its sensitiveness, the one who communicates with life within
and without is open to all influences, whether agreeable
or disagreeable, and is without any protection. His only
escape from all the disturbances of life is through rising
above them.

The prophetic message which was given by Zarathushtra
to the people of Persia was poetic from beginning to end.
It is most interesting to see that Zarathushtra showed in
his scriptures and all through his life how a poet rises
from earth to heaven. It suggests to us how Zarathushtra
communicated with nature, with its beauty, and how with
every step he took he touched deeper and deeper into the
depths of life. Zarathushtra formed his religion by praising
the beauty in nature and by finding the source of his art
which is creation itself in the Artist who is behind it
all.

What form of worship did he teach? He taught the same
worship with which he began his poetry and with which he
finished it. He said to his pupils, 'Stand before the sea,
look at the vastness of it, bow before it, before its source
and goal.' He said to them, 'Look at the sun and see what
joy it brings. What is at the back of it? Where does it
come from? Think of its source and goal and how you are
heading towards it.' People then thought that it was sun
worship, but it was not. It was the worship of light which
is the source and goal of all. That communication within
and without sometimes extended the range of a poet's vision
so much that it was beyond the comprehension of the average
man.

When the Shah of Persia said that he would like to have
the history of his country written, for one did not exist
at that time, Firdausi, a poet who was inspired and intuitive
said, 'I will write it and bring it to you.' He began to
meditate, throwing his searchlight as far back into the
past as possible; and before the appointed time, he was
able to prepare that book and bring it to the court. It
is said that the spiritual power of that poet was so great
that when someone at the court sneered at the idea of a
man being able to look so far back into the past, he went
up to him and put his hand on his forehead and said, 'Now,
see!' And the man saw with his own eyes that which was written
in the book.

This is human; it is not superhuman, although examples
of it are rarely to be found. For in the life of every human
being, especially of one who is pure-hearted, loving, sympathetic
and good, the past, present and future are manifested to
a certain extent. If one's inner light were thrown back
as a searchlight, it could go much farther than man can
comprehend. Some have to develop this gift, but others are
born with it. Among those who are born with it, we find
some who, perhaps, know 10 or 12 years beforehand what is
going to happen. Therefore, a poet is someone who can focus
his soul on the past and also throw his light on the future.
He makes clear that which has not yet happened, but which
has been planned beforehand and which already exists in
the abstract.

It is such poetry that becomes inspirational poetry.
It is through such poetry that the intricate aspects of
metaphysics can be taught. All the Upanishads of the
Vedas are written in poetry. The surahs of the
Quran and Zarathushtra's scriptures are all in poetry.
All these prophets, whenever they came, brought the message
in poetry.

The development of poetry in Persia occurred at a time
when there was a great conflict between the orthodox and
the free thinkers. At that time, the law of the nation was
a religious law and no one was at liberty to express his
free thoughts, which might be in conflict with the religious
ideas. There were great thinkers such as Firdausi,
Fariduddin Attar, Jalaluddin Rumi, Sadi, Hafiz, Jami
and Omar Khayyam, who were not only poets, but were poetry
itself. They were living in another world, although they
appeared to be on earth. Their outlooks on life, their keen
insights, were different from those of everyone else. The
words which arose from their hearts were not brought forth
with effort, but were natural flames rising up out of the
heart. And these words remain as flames enlightening souls
of all times, whatever soul they had touched.

Sufism has been the wisdom of these poets. There has
never been a poet of note in Persia who was not a Sufi,
and every one of them added a certain aspect to the Sufi
ideas. However, they took great care not to affront the
minds of orthodox people. Therefore, a new terminology had
to be invented in Persian poetry. The poets had to use words
such as 'wine,' 'bowl,' 'beloved,' and 'rose,' words which
would not offend the orthodox mind and would yet at the
same time serve as symbolic expressions to explain the divine
law.

It belongs to the work of the Sufi movement to interpret
the ideas of these poets, to express their ideas in words
that can be understood by modern people; for the value of
those ideas is as great today as it ever was.